A health reform advocate said Friday that the suspension of the collection of premium contributions by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) this year is only a "band-aid" solution.

In a statement sent to DAILY TRIBUNE, Dr. Tony Leachon, former president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said that while the proposed one-year suspension of premium payments may offer temporary relief, "we risk exacerbating the very problem we seek to solve," without addressing the systemic corruption.

"Suspending premium payments is of course a welcome respite to all of us who pay a portion of our wages to PhilHealth, but doing so is akin to placing a band-aid on a wound that requires surgery," Leachon stressed.

"It may cover the issue temporarily, but it does not address the underlying infection. Without comprehensive reforms to tackle corruption and inefficiency within PhilHealth, such measures only delay the inevitable collapse of our healthcare system," he added.

The House of Representatives is eyeing a one-year suspension of PhilHealth members' monthly premium contributions, citing the agency's "substantial" surplus funds.

On Thursday, 23 January, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said a "thorough and impartial investigation into how PhilHealth's funds are being managed" would be conducted next week.